Reinforcement spacer for the support of reinforcing bars in molding forms for concrete



REINFORCEMENT SPACER FOR THE SUPPORT OF REINFORCING BARS IN MOLDING FORMS FOR CONCRETE Filed Sept. 19, 1966 June 11, 1968 o. A. ANDERSEN 3,387,423

5 FIG.6

INVENT OR 01 AV 444M543 4/056 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O ABSTRACT 01F THE DECLUSURE A spacer for reinforcing bars in concrete comprises a quadrilateral plate interconnecting four parallel posts. The plate is closer to one end of the posts than to the other and the edges of the plate are curved inwardly so that the spacer will rest on each of four sides on the sides of two adjacent posts and on the other two sides on the ends of the posts, the spacer providing four different heights and/or widths of recesses within which reinforcing bars may be cradled.

The present invention relates to a reinforcement spacer particularly adapted for the support of reinforcing bars in forms for molding concrete. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be used in the molding of other masses having little tensile strength and thus requiring reinforcement.

"In recent years, a number of various types of reinforcement spacers for the support of reinforcing bars in forms for molding concrete have been used in the industry. These reinforcement spacers have replaced the wooden blocks previously used for this purpose. The advantage of these ready-made reinforcement spacers over the previously used wooden blocks is that since it is unnecessary to remove them when the concrete is poured into the form, they may remain in the form and are molded fast, by reason of their trimmer shape and small bearing surfaces toward the form.

The reinforcing bars for the various types of concrete construction are necessarily of different thicknesses, however, and the spacing of the bars with respect to the outer surface of the finished concrete construction may vary, all in accordance with the type of construction. Those binding the bars have had to use different reinforcement spacers for the various dimensions of bars and spacing in the form, and this entails the necessity of different types of reinforcement spacers at the same building site so that the binder may use the spacer most suitable to the construction he is presently engaged in. As may be readily understood, this leads to time waste and unnecessary labour for the bar binders.

Another disadvantage of previous reinforcement spacers is their lack of securing means to enable them. to be clamped to the bars. This is of great significance in the reinforcement of a vertical wall.

The object of the present invention therefore, is to provide a reinforcement spacer which may be used in various constructions, and for the different thicknesses of the reinforcing bars. In this Way the bar binder can, with the same reinforcement spacer, support the bars at various heights from the molding form, and support also with the same spacer, various thicknesses of reinforcing bars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforcement spacer which may be readily secured to the reinforcing bar, so that the spacer accompanies the bar on being moved, and to prevent the spacer from falling off, in the event the bars are moved somewhat from the wall of the form.

3,387,423 Patented June 11, 1968 According to the invention, this is achieved in that the spacer is of such design that a plurality of support surfaces for the reinforcing bars are for-med, the said surfaces having different spaced relationship to the opposing external limiting surfaces of the reinforcement spacer which bear against the concrete form. In this way, merely by turning the reinforcement spacer, the bar binder may select the spacing desired in the particular case, from the bar down to the form. By turning the reinforcement spacer, he may also obtain a bearing surface which fits the dimension of bar with which he is working at the time.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the reinforcement spacer is formed of four posts secured at each corner of a plate-shaped body disposed so that the free ends of the posts project from the plate on either side. The plate shaped body is preferably not square, so that the distances between the posts are different. In this manner 10-12 mm. bars for instance, may be clamped between the posts if the longest axis of the rectangular plate is disposed longitudinally of the bar, and 16 mm. bars may for instance be clamped between the posts if the spacer is turned to the first said direction. The spacer may obviously :be dimensioned according to the standard of reinforcement at the actual construction location.

The invention thus concerns a reinforcement spacer for the support of reinforcing bars in molding forms for concrete, of the type having alternative support surfaces for the reinforcing bars, the said surfaces being of unequal spacing with respect to the opposing external limiting surfaces of the reinforcement spacer, and it is substantially characterized in that it comprises four legs or posts connected to one another by means of a plate, the plate being located more closely adjacent the one end of the legs than the other.

A further characterizing feature of the reinforcement spacer is that the plate is quadrilateral, one pair of opposing sides being longer than the second pair. It is also characteristic that the side surfaces of the plate are curved inwardly toward the centre of the plate.

The invention is described hereinafter with reference to the drawings, where:

FIG. 1 shows the reinforcement spacer in perspective and FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the reinforcement spacer in various operational positions.

The posts 1, 2, 3 and 4, which form the external limits of the spacer and which are adapted to bear against the molding form, are secured to the corners of a plate shaped body 5 having curved edge portions 6, 7, 8 and 9. An opening 10 is located in the centre of the plate 5 to allow the spacer to be readily nailed to the wooden forms.

As will be seen from the drawing, the plate 5 is disposed asymmetrically with respect to the posts, so that the free ends of the posts are of different lengths on the different sides of the plate. This permits the reinforcing bars to be supported at various heights with respect to the base surface, that is to say the form, according to whether the reinforcing bars rest upon one or the other side of the plate-shaped body, as will be clear from FIGS. 2 and 3. By such a support, as is disclosed in the two figures, there will be, in the first case, a distance a from the form up to the lowest reinforcing bar which is longer than the distance b in the following example. In FIG. 5 the reinforcement spacer is turned so that the two posts 3 and 4 rest against the base surface and the lowest reinforcing bar is supported by the curved bearing surface on the side 5 of the plate shaped body. The way in which the reinforcement spacer is shaped here allows a distance 0 from the base surface which is the maximum distance obtainable by means of this reinforcement spacer.

In FIG. 6 it is apparent how the sides 6 and '7 are specially adapted to form support surfaces for thick reinforcing bars. There is, of course, no reason why the reinforcement spacer should not be turned into other positions even if it is to be used for thicker reinforcing bars, however the bearing surface will not then be especially adapted to the thick dimensions of the bars.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the reinforcement spacer is used in positions where reinforcing bars of two different dimensions are clamped between the posts, the reinforcement spacer being used with the narrow opening between the posts for the thin bars, the wider opening between the posts being used for the thicker bars.

The reinforcement spacer described hereinbefore is intended as an embodiment example only, other reinforcement spacers coming Within the scope of the following claims being also comprehended by the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A reinforcement spacer for supporting reinforcing bars in molding forms for concrete, comprising four legs, a quadrilateral plate interconnecting the four legs and being more closely adjacent one end of the legs than the other end of the legs, one pair of opposite edges of the plate being longer than the other pair of opposite edges of the plate, the legs being substantially straight and parallel to each other, the outer portions of the legs being dis posed farther outwardly than any portions of the plate so that the spacer has a stable rest position on four of its sides on the sides of an adjacent pair of legs and stable rest positions on its other two sides on the ends of the legs.

2. A spacer as claimed in claim 1, the edges of the plates being curved inwardly toward the center of the plate.

3. A spacer as claimed in claim 1, the legs being secured in the corner of the plate so that each of the four edges of the plate terminates at opposite ends in a pair of said legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,674,476 6/ 1928 Mathews 526 87 1,911,957 5/1933 Kassmir 52687 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,641 1/ 1954 Sweden. 227,969 5/ 1960 Australia. 523,832 4/1955 Italy. 1,126,113 3/1962 Germany.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

